Apparatus for scraping pipe-skelp.



c. FELL.

APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING PIPE SKELP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1914.

Patented June 15, 1915.

& INVE WITNESSES CHAIR-LES FELL, F ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNQR' TO NATIONAL COMPANY, OF 7 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR; scnnrme rIrn-sKELr.

' Applicationfiled November 25, 19-14. Serial 110.874 .059.

ing 1s a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of welded pipe, and while not restricted to such use more particularly relates to the manufacture of lap welded pipe of the larger sizes in the manufacture of which the pipe skelp are bent preparatory to heating for the pipe welding operation.

In the manufaeture of such pipes, some cinder adheres to the bottom surface or surfaces of the bent skelp or pipes, which rest on the bottom of the heating furnace, and when not removed before the skelp or pipe enters the welding'rolls, the cinder is rolled into the surface of the pipes or tubes and afterward falls out, so -that even in cases where serious damage is not done to the pipes by indenting the surface of the pipes, the surface will be roughened to an extent which detracts from its appearance.

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus for removing cinder adhering to the undersurface of the pipe skelp after the skelp is heated and prior to the welding operation.

Another object of my inventionis toprovide scraping apparatus having novel means whereby the scraper is automatically caused to engage with the surface of the pipe skelp to be scraped as the pipe advances from the heating furnace into-the welding rolls.

A further object of my invention is to providea pipe scraping apparatus which. is adapted for use on various sizes of pipes, and still further objects of my invention consist in the novel construction and an rangement of parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter and specifically pomted out in the appended claims. I

Referring. now tothe drawings, formingpart of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevatiompartly in section{ showing. pipe welding rolls equipped with my improved pipe scraping: mechanism. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same", partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is; afront elevation showing the arran ement of the valve and valve operating mec ianism by which the scrap1ng mecha Specification of Letters Patent.

nism is automatically causedto engage with the skel'p in the skelp scraping operations.

Referring to the. accoinpa'nving drawings, the numeral 2 designates the exit end of a heating-furnace having a stand of welding rolls positioned infront thereof, in line with the door or-opening in the furnace through which the. pipe skelp pass from the furnace to the welding rolls. The welding rolls consist of the. usual top roll 3 and bottom roll 4, these rolls having necks 5 by which they are mounted inthe bottom roll bearings 6 and the top roll bearings 7 and 8. The bearings 7 and 8 are removably secured in the riders 9 and 10.

Patented June 15,1915.

The bearings '6 and riders 9 and 10 are secured in the windows 11 and 12 of the roll housings 13, 13, and an adjusting screw 1'4. is employed on each housing 13 to hold the top roll and its bearings in adjusted position in the housings, a breaker block 15 be-' ing provided between the riders 10 for the top roll and the lower end of the adjusting screws 14. a

As a variety of sizes'of pipes or tubes will be heatedat different times in each furnace, rolls 3 and 4 corresponding to the different sizes of pipe being made, are used in the roll housings 13. The level of the 'bottom of the furnace being at a fixed point, a change in the size of the pie being welded requires that the bottom r01 4 be lined or. adjusted upwardly or downwardly, and that a corresponding. adjustment be made in the relative vertical position of the top roll 3. For this reason the adjusting screws 14 are made of a length which enables any required vertical adjustments of the rolls being made.

The top roll- 3 and its bearing are adapted to move vertically in the windows 12 of the housing. The springs 9 between the bot-. tom riders 9jfor the toproll 3, and the bottom of the housing window 12 for the top. roll, form a support by which the top roll 3 is yieldingly held in its'ra ised position. In this Way the top roll is positioned so that the collars of the rolls do not ride. when /come. I

which has a lip 17 1ssus ended n front of the roll above the axis 0 the pass, the lip 17 projecting forwardly so as to engage with the scarfed edge of the skelp being I welded and'pressing the uppermost overlapping edge of the skelp downwardly into engagementwith the other edge as the skelp moves forwardly into engagement with the welding rolls. The upper end of this strap 16 is pivotally connected by a pin or bolt 18 to an adjusting screw 19 which extends vertically upward through a horizontal support or cap 20 mounted on top of the housings and extending between'the housings so as to form a spreader or separator to keep the upper ends of the housings in spaced re lation. An adjusting wheel 21 is provided on the top of th egslupport20, having a screw threadedi'opening through which the threaded upper end of'the adjusting screw 19 projects to enable the'lip 17' of the guide to beadjusted vertically to suit the particular size of pipes or tubes being welded.

A removable bell-mouthed guide 22 is provided on the entering side of the welding rolls, and in front of this guide is an inclined trough or guide 23 which also is sup ported on the housings. A gap 24 is. formed between the adjacent ends of the guide 22 and trough 23, and within this gap is the flexible scraper by which the pipe skelp are scraped as they pass from the furnace into the rolls, and any cinder adhering to the under surface of the pipes is thereby.;;removed.

The scraper 25 is made of afshert chain comprising a series of double links 25v pivotally connected by intermediatesingle links 25*. The ends of the chain 25forming the flexible scraper are adjustably connected by straps 26 to the lower ends of the vertically adjustable rods or bolts 27 27. As shown,

the adjustable bolts 27 have T-shaped lower ends 27, anda series of holes 28 in each of the horizontally extending branches 27 afford means for adjusting the chain scraper to suit pipes or tubes of various diameters.

The upper ends of the bolts 27 are screw threaded and the screw threaded ends are adjustably connected to a crosshead 29, nuts 30 bein provided on each bolt at opposite sides 0 the crosshead to hold the bolts in adjusted position thereon. The crosshead 29 is pivotally connected at the middle of its length by a link 31 to a lever 32' atan intermediate point in the length of the lever. This lever 32 is pivotedat one end to a stand or pedestal v33. mounted on top of the support 20 on top of and extendin between-the housin s 13. The opposite en of thelever 32 is pivotally connected to the piston rod 34 of a fluid pressure cylinder 35 also mounted on the support 20.

The cylinder 35 is connected at its opposite ends,on opposite sides of the piston in the cylinder, by pipes 36'and 37, to a fourway valve 38, and this valve is connected by a pipe 39 to a suitable source of fluid pressure. The stem 40 of the valve'38 is connected to a spur pinion 41, the valve being mounted in a suitable position on the side of one housing 13. A segmental gear 42 is secured on one end of a shaft 43 which is mounted at its ends in bearings 44 on the sides of the housings, this gear 42 meshing with the pinion 41 on the valve stem 40. The shaft 43 is provided at an intermediate point in its length'with a downwardly extending'trigger or arm 45 which is arranged and made of suflicient-weight to normally extend vertically downward into the path of the pipe skelp asthe skelp moves fol wardly out'of the furnace into the bite of the welding rolls 3 and 4. Y

In the operationof my improved appa-; ratus, the rolls, which are power driven, are mounted and adjusted in the windows of} the housings 13. The chain scraper 25 is then adjusted'soas to be suspended below 5 the path of movement of the skelp as the skelp moves lengthwise from the furnace 2 into the bite of the rolls.

As the pipe'skelp is propelled forwardly out of the exit opening in the furnace its upper surface engages with-the trigger 45 suspended in the path of movement of the pipe skelp. When engaged by-the bent pipe skelp the trigger 45-iscaused to swing and its movement actuates the segmental gear 42 and through the pinion 41 on the valve stem 40 turns the valve into position to admit fluid pressure through the pipe 36 into the lower end of the fluid pressure cylinder 35. 'VVhen air or other fluid pressure is admitted to this end of the cylinder, the piston rod 34 is moved upwardly and itsmovement swings the lever '32 on the pivot stand 33 and causes the crosshead '29 to raise the scraper rods 27, 27, and bring the scraper 25 into engagement with the lower'surfa'ce of the forwardly moving pipe skelp. The trigger 45 being held in this position as long as the pipe'is passing beneath it, the scraper 25 is held in engagement with the traveling pipeskelp, and removes any cinder adherin to the under surface of the skelp.

en the rear endof the skelp passes out of engagement with the trigger 45 the weight of. this trigger will cause it to return by gravity to a vertically depending position, and this movement, through the segmental gear 42 and pinion 41 turns the valve to admit fluid pressure through the pipe 37 to the top end of the cylinder, and

causes the piston to move downwardly and move the piston rod 34' from its extended position until again in the position shown in thedrawings. The return movement of the piston moves the scraper out of the path of the forward end of the next skelp caused to pass into the welding rolls, and in this way the pipe skelp are automatically scraped durin their passage from the heating furnace into the welding rolls. 18c

apparent to those skilled in the art.

The advantages of my invention willllpe v the use of .my improved apparatus the cinder is removed from the lower surface of the pipe skelp immediately Y prior to the welding operation, and in this'way damage to the surface of the skelp otherwise possible in the welding operation is prevented and overcome.

The apparatus is simple and is easily kept in repair, and by its use the number of defective and imperfect or second grade pipes made is materially lessened.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made with- .out departing from my invention.

The scraper may be manually operated instead of being arranged to operate automatically, as shown. The means employed in actuating the mechanism may be varied,

and other changes may be made within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1.1n apparatus for making pipes or tubes, the combination with welding rolls, of an articulated scraper on the entering side of said rolls, said scraper being movable into scraping engagement with skelp passing through the welding rolls, and means for moving the scraper into engagement with the skelp. Y

2, In apparatus for making pipes or tubes, the combination with Welding rolls, of an articulated scraper on the entering side of said rolls, said scraper being movable into scraping engagement with skelp passing through the welding rolls, means for moving the scraper mto engagement with the skelp, and means actuated by the skelp for operating said scraper moving means to ove the scraper into and out of skelp scraping position.

3. Skelp scraping mechanism comprising a link chain forming a flexible scraper, means connected to the ends of said chain to suspend the chain in the path of the skelp, and a fluid pressure cylinder to which the chain suspending means is operatively connected for lifting the scraper into scraping position, I

4. Skelp scraping mechanism comprising a link chain forming a flexible scraper, means connected to the ends of said chain to suspend the chain in the path of the skelp, and a fluid pressure cylinder to which the chain suspending means is operatively nected for lifting the chain into scraping position, and means operated by the skelp being scraped for controlling the operation of said cylinder in moving the chain into scraping, position.

my hand.

CHARLES FELL.

lVitnesses:

ARTHUR R. GERBER, DAvm H. Pmmx.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set, 

